


a drink to remember

by furafurari



Series: A3_69mins Challenge [3]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Drinking, Gen, I love writing from Azuma's pov, he's so cute and soft, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25786111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furafurari/pseuds/furafurari
Summary: Maybe while he could not make memories back then, he could do it right now, with this new family he has.And so, daringly, Azuma hopes.
Relationships: Winter Troupe & Yukishiro Azuma
Series: A3_69mins Challenge [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859575
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	a drink to remember

**Author's Note:**

> Posted as part of #a3_69min challenge week 3: first time drinking prompt! Please enjoy.

“Have you ever been really drunk, Azuma-san?”

Azuma sipped his wine, reeling in the sweetness of the drink before he opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at his troupe leader. “Oh? What brought the question, Tsumugi?” 

They’re currently visiting Guy’s new bar in town, with Hisoka as a bartender helping clean the glass and sneaking some marshmallows to keep him awake here and there. Ever since he decided to work with Guy, his troupe mate has been looking happier. Especially when Homare and Azuma gifted him some special caramel honey filled marshmallows as a celebration.

Tsumugi flushed a bit, looking like he’s on the edge of retracting the question back from how his breath quickened, and his eyes opened just a little bit wider. 

“Oh, um, no reason, really… I’m just curious at how high your alcohol tolerance really is.” 

His fingers stilled on his own glass, looking like he didn’t want to give a tell unconsciously. Azuma’s eyes brightened at that. Given time, his leader could be a seriously frightening man to oppose.

He decided to give some time to answer the question, looking at Homare next to him, already crying while eating his carrot salad while wailing to Hisoka, who deflected most of his dialogues with the most deadpan stare he could muster. Tasuku is involved in a heated discussion about the recent play they watched together with Guy, who is expertly mixing the next cocktail Azuma requested and seemingly catching up with the discussion. 

He looked back at Tsumugi, putting down his glass with a soft thunk on the coaster before putting his elbow on the counter, his hand leaning on the side of his own face lazily with an air of relaxation. Tsumugi waits, sipping at his own chuhai. Instead of giving him an answer, however, Azuma decides something else could be offered.

“Would you like to listen to the first time I ever drank alcohol?”

Tsumugi blinked before nodding at that, putting his own glass on the counter but hands never leaving it, while his dark blue eyes staring expectantly at Azuma’s. The man chuckled at that, swaying his ponytail to the side as a meaningless gesture. Then his eyes went a little bit faraway, lost in his own memories.

“It was when I just turned 20…”

_~xxx~_

_Azuma remembers very clearly, how he went back to a lonely apartment after a long day, a bottle of umeshu cradled gently in his hand. An acquaintance had given him that, congratulating him on his day when he became an adult. Azuma just smiled and nodded then, accepting the offering generously with an empty heart._

_All that he could feel back then was how lonely it was, to reach adulthood without anyone permanently by your side or greeting you home. How empty it was, to be able to legally drink without someone to drink with. If his family was still alive, his father would have pestered him to drink a bottle together with him, and his mother would have joined after providing some little snacks to go along with the alcohol. And his brother…_

_He remembers how his first drink went that day. It was sweet and salty, quietly mixed with his tears._

_~xxx~_

“... Azuma-san?”

Azuma covered his mouth at Tsumugi’s voice, realising too late that he had said the last part quietly without meaning to, that he had overshared. The small chatter around him has ceased, and he can feel his troupe mates eyes’ on him as he chuckled lightly, trying to dissuade the tense atmosphere and already know he’s failing. His voice was rough from swallowing down too many times.

“... Well, that’s how my first drink went. And I don’t even remember getting tipsy that day, so the answer to that is a no, Tsumugi.” 

He smiled kindly at Tsumugi’s concerned expression. It has been a long time, after all. His smile faltered a bit as he felt a tap on his shoulder, already fearing Homare would launch into an emotional drunken stupor. While he always genuinely thought that it’s cute, it’s not what he needs right now.

When he turned around, however, the poet’s eyes were surprisingly sober. “... That’s only a first drink to many that you acquired, is it not?” 

He let Azuma’s shoulders go, as Hisoka received Azuma’s next cocktail and popped a marshmallow in it, torching it slightly with a burner and passing it gently towards the white-haired man. “... Sweets can help you feel less sad, Azuma.”

Ah, the sleepy man is as blunt as ever.

Azuma smiled at that, taking the offered drink before nodding his thanks towards Hisoka and Guy. Tasuku stared at him with that troubled expression of his whenever he’s unsure of what he should do, before he sighed and probably decided to throw all cautions to the wind.

“Well, now we are here to accompany you to drink together, aren’t we?” He tipped his own sake cup towards Azuma’s direction. “And I know it’s gonna be a long time before we stopped doing so, if ever.”

His breath caught at that, Azuma can feel a content warmth resting in his heart. And he knows it’s not from the alcohol.

The others are nodding their agreement, smiling at him, before tipping their own glass, Hisoka and Guy also joining. Tsumugi smiled softly at him. “C’mon Azuma-san, we are waiting.”

Azuma laughed, free and airy, as his hand reached his new cocktail and smiled. His eyes are content as his gaze swept towards his troupe mates, no, his friends, his family, who are looking at him with their own way of kindness. Who didn’t even ask about what he just told them, and instead of sweeping it away, they tried to comfort him.

He likes it, this relationship they had.

He lifted his glass, and finally, finally smiled as he called out in his soft voice. What he could have done so back then but didn’t, and what he could do now.

“Well then… Cheers.”

To this everlasting memory, he dared to hope.

**Author's Note:**

> I initially meant for this to be fluff. Or even humor. Then my brain took over, I'm really sorry.


End file.
